Sales & Marketing news

• 'The year of digital is upon us:' Bitcoin, political gridlock, and big data are set to transform markets in 2018

  04-01-2018 23:08 via feedproxy.google.com
  Kevin McPartland, the head of research for market structure and technology at Greenwich Associates, a consultancy, outlined the ten trends that'll define markets in 2018.
  According to McPartland, 2018 will be the year in which digital descends upon the markets. 
  He sees banks paying more attention to crypto, data becoming more important, and more regulatory changes.2017 was politically strange, economically strong and eerily calm. President Trump attempted to govern the U.S. in ways never b
  
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• Intel now says it has a fix for the Spectre bug that Google found to be unfixable (INTC)

  04-01-2018 22:56 via feedproxy.google.com
  Intel says that it's already sending out fixes for the massive "Meltdown" and "Spectre" security bugs, with 90% of recent processors getting the patch by the end of next week.
  Google had previously said that there is no single way to guard against the Spectre attack.
  But Intel now says it can make its processors "immune."Intel says that it's already starting to send out software updates that will make its processors "immune" to the "Meltdown" and "Spectre" hacks that were first revealed on
  
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• Tesla fell short on its Model 3 production goals again — but its latest numbers and past history offer some hope (TSLA)

  04-01-2018 22:48 via feedproxy.google.com
  Here we go again. Tesla's got a new car model, and it's having trouble meeting its production targets. On Wednesday, the electric vehicle maker said just how far it was falling short in meeting its goals for its new Model 3. While company CEO Elon Musk had projected Tesla would make 20,000 Model 3s, it actually only made 2,425 — about 12% of that forecast. And the situation doesn't look like it will get better soon; after initially saying it planned to make 5,000 Model 3s a week by the end
  
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• DOW CROSSES 25,000: Here’s what you need to know

  04-01-2018 22:10 via feedproxy.google.com
  Stocks finished up on Thursday, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average crossed 25,000 points for the first time in history. 
  Here’s how the markets stand with one day left in the first trading week of 2018:Dow: 25,069.40 (+0.59%)
  S&P 500: 2,724.31 (+0.41%)
  Nasdaq: 7,077.91 (+0.18%)What happened:Tesla shares took a hit after the company reported fourth-quarter Model 3 deliveries that missed estimates by a mile. 
  AMD was up as panic over a central processing unit s
  
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• Google and Amazon say the performance hit from the 'Meltdown' and 'Spectre' fixes is overblown (MSFT, AMZN, GOOG, GOOGL)

  04-01-2018 21:52 via feedproxy.google.com
  Techies are going crazy after "Meltdown" and "Spectre," two new methods for stealing data from seemingly-secure computers, were revealed by Google on Wednesday.
  One worry was that the fix for the problems could come with a major negative impact on performance. 
  Google and Amazon say they're not seeing any major slowdowns. 
  On Wednesday, Google revealed that there's a big security hole in pretty much every processor, including the one in your phone, the one in your laptop, and the proce
  
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• White House says Gary Cohn isn't going anywhere — for now

  04-01-2018 21:16 via feedproxy.google.com
  Gary Cohn has long been reported to be eyeing an exit from the Trump administration after tax reform.
  With the GOP package now law, speculation has increased that Cohn will leave the White House soon.
  Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday that Cohn "has stated that he is committed to being here."Gary Cohn isn't going anywhere yet, the White House said Thursday.
  White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, asked during the daily press briefing about his job status, as the Na
  
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• Sears is closing 103 stores — here's where they will shut down

  04-01-2018 21:15 via feedproxy.google.com
  Sears is closing 64 Kmart stores and 39 Sears stores.
  Most of the stores will close by April.
   
  Sears is closing another 103 stores, on top of the 63 stores closing at the end of this month, the company said Thursday.
  Most of the stores will close by April. The list of closures includes 64 Kmart stores and 39 Sears stores.
  "Sears Holdings continues its strategic assessment of the productivity of our Kmart and Sears store base and will continue to right size our store footprint in number and
  
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• An investing startup that grew by $100 million in a single day just got some big name backing

  04-01-2018 21:09 via feedproxy.google.com
  Robo-adviser Wealthfront landed $75 million in a new fundraising round, the company announced Thursday.Tiger Global Management, the New York-based investing firm, is leading the fundraise.
  Wealthfront will use the cash to enhance its Path tool and continue to attract younger investors to its purely automated platform.
   
  Tiger Global Management is making a big bet on a California investing startup.
  Wealthfront, a robo-adviser with more than $9 billion under its management, announced Thursday
  
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• A $9 billion robo-adviser going all in on automation just landed $75 million

  04-01-2018 21:09 via feedproxy.google.com
  Robo-adviser Wealthfront landed $75 million in a new fundraising round, the company announced Thursday.Tiger Global Management, the New York-based investing firm, is leading the fundraise.
  Wealthfront will use the cash to enhance its Path tool and continue to attract younger investors to its purely automated platform.
   
  Tiger Global Management is making a big bet on a California investing startup.
  Wealthfront, a robo-adviser with more than $9 billion under its management, announced Thursday
  
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• The random bowl drawing to decide a pivotal seat in Virginia could have a huge impact on healthcare for 400,000 people

  04-01-2018 19:15 via feedproxy.google.com
  Republican David Yancey won a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates over Democrat Shelly Simonds after a random drawing out of a bowl on Thursday.
  The drawing keeps the GOP in control of the House of Delegates, with a 51 to 49 majority.
  Yancey's victory makes the path to possible Medicaid expansion more difficult for Democrats in the state.The composition of the Virginia House of Delegates, and possibly the future of thousands of Virginians' healthcare, was determined by a random drawing out o
  
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• There's a new biggest bull on Wall Street now that Trump has signed tax cuts into law

  04-01-2018 18:47 via feedproxy.google.com
  UBS' Keith Parker raised his year-end target for the S&P 500 to 3,150 from 2,900, citing the passage of the Republican tax plan. 
  His forecast is the highest among strategists at major Wall Street firms. 
  He expects the lower corporate tax rate to lift corporate profits by 7% this year.UBS' head of US equity strategy has raised his bullish view on the stock market now that the Republican tax plan has become law.
  Parker increased his year-end S&P 500 target to 3,150 from 2,
  
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• AMD keeps gaining even though some of Intel's chip flaws also affect its CPUs (AMD, INTC)

  04-01-2018 18:40 via feedproxy.google.com
  A security flaw in central processing units has sent AMD shares soaring and Intel's plummeting.
  AMD's chips do not have all the problems Intel is facing, but they are affected by some of the same issues.
  Watch AMD's stock price move in real time here.AMD is up another 5.45% on Thursday as panic over a central processing unit security flaw sent investors out of Intel and into AMD.
  Initially, AMD told users its chips were not subject to the same sort of attacks as Intel's chips, but the company ha
  
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• The blockchain 'name game' is just getting started — and it echoes dot-com mania

  04-01-2018 18:34 via feedproxy.google.com
  The number of public companies adding "blockchain" to their name, or announcing a pivot to blockchain technologies, will surge in 2018, says Autonomous Research.
  The firm's forecast is based on a comparison to the dot-com bubble, which saw a similar phenomenon as companies tried to ride the Internet wave.You'd think an iced tea manufacturer adding "blockchain" to its name would mark the absolute apex of companies rebranding to ride surging interest in cryptocurrencies.
  That's not the case, says
  
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• Direct Line takes ‘consultancy approach’ to marketing effectiveness

  04-01-2018 18:10
  Direct Line has restructured its marketing effectiveness division as it looks to shift perceptions of the function from one that “wields a stick” to a consultancy that works alongside marketing to improve its performance.
  The insurance company has had a marketing effectiveness unit for many years, but it has changed direction over the last two years, since Ann Constantine took over as head of insight and marketing effectiveness. With her at the helm, Direct Line pulled three areas to
  
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• CRYPTO INSIDER: XRP is surging

  04-01-2018 17:36 via feedproxy.google.com
  Welcome to Crypto Insider, Business Insider’s roundup of all the bitcoin and cryptocurrency news you need to know today. Sign up here to get this email delivered direct to your inbox.
  Ripple's XRP has been on a tear for the past month, skyrocketing to the number-two spot behind bitcoin with a market cap of $139 billion — potentially making its cofounder a billionaire. 
  Here are the standings as of Thursday morning:Bitcoin (BTC): $14,621.47 (-3.91%)
  
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• Mark Zuckerberg's personal challenge for 2018 is to fix all the bad things happening on Facebook (FB)

  04-01-2018 17:35 via feedproxy.google.com
  Mark Zuckerberg's annual personal challenge for 2018 is to fix systemic issues with Facebook like abuse and hacking.
  In a Facebook post, Zuckerberg acknowledged the company's blunders over the last year or so, writing that "we currently make too many errors enforcing our policies and preventing misuse of our tools."
  Zuckerberg's statement was light on details about how he plans to fix Facebook's problems.Mark Zuckerberg's personal challenge for 2018 is to fix issues like abuse, hacking from othe
  
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• Marijuana stocks are getting slammed after report says Jeff Sessions plans to roll back legal pot rules

  04-01-2018 17:13 via feedproxy.google.com
  US Attorney General Jeff Sessions plans to roll back rules that paved the way for states to legalize marijuana, AP reported Thursday.
  Cannabis-related stocks took major hits after the news, falling as much as 35%. Marijuana stocks slumped after the Associated Press reported Thursday that US Attorney General Jeff Sessions plans to roll back Obama-era federal policies that paved the way for states to legalize marijuana, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter. He is expected to anno
  
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• CREDIT SUISSE: People are making 'mountains from molehills' over Intel's security flaw (INTC, AMD)

  04-01-2018 16:55 via feedproxy.google.com
  Flaws in the central processing units of many manufacturers rocked the computing world on Wednesday.
  Credit Suisse says the flaws really aren't a big deal because there are already patches, and the issue will be eliminated with future hardware.
  Watch Intel's stock trade in real time here.Intel's central processing units have a major security flaw that requires all operating systems to be patched and could slow down systems by as much as 30%. But it's not really a big deal, Credit Suisse said on
  
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• Claire Bridges: Understanding neuroscience can help marketers think smarter

  04-01-2018 16:46
  The need to be creative was part of my professional life day in, day out, for more than 20 years working as MD and then a creative director in the PR industry. I had to embrace (and flex) between what Unruly founder Sarah Wood calls “imagination and maths”, despite my own preferences.
  We know, thanks to the proliferation of assessments and books on the subject, that we each have cognitive preferences. And there is plenty of debate among marketers about whether they should try and dev
  
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• Americans are spending a record amount of money on new cars and trucks

  04-01-2018 16:46 via feedproxy.google.com
  According to Edmunds.com, new-vehicle prices are hitting record highs.
  Confident consumers are buying big, well-appointed cars and trucks.
  The larger stickers are helping automakers' pile up cash.The auto industry might be looking to a weaker sales year in 2018 after an unexpectedly solid 2017, but there's a silver lining to the dark cloud of decline.
  Americans are spending a record amount of money, on average, to buy new cars and trucks. 
  "The average price of a new vehicle is expected to
  
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• Ripple’s XRP hits an all-time high, sending cofounder's wealth soaring

  04-01-2018 16:41 via feedproxy.google.com
  XRP, a cryptocurrency by Ripple, reached new highs on Thursday.
  The digital tokens have risen astronomically since last year, making its cofounder a multi-millionaire, provided he could sell his stake. 
  It's important to distinguish the value to XRP from the value of its controlling company, Ripple. XRP, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, hit an all time high of $3.315 per unit just before 8 a.m. Eastern on Thursday. 
  The huge jump in value — up more than 1300%
  
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• Wall Street is making excuses for Tesla's Model 3 problem — and it could backfire this year (TSLA)

  04-01-2018 16:17 via feedproxy.google.com
  Nomura analyst and Tesla bull Romit Shah thinks Tesla's focus on quality control justifies its sluggish Model 3 production ramp.
  But quality control should be a given for Tesla, not an excuse.
  2018 will be the year when the Tesla bulls have their optimism tested.Tesla missed badly on Model 3 delivery expectations for the fourth quarter, selling only 1,550 vehicles.
  When the carmaker announced its numbers on Wednesday, it added in a statement that "[a]s we continue to focus on quality and efficie
  
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• Snap gets downgraded because ad buyers prefer Instagram (SNAP)

  04-01-2018 15:53 via feedproxy.google.com
  Snap shares lower after the company was downgraded by Cowen on Thursday.
  The company ranks last in a number of important categories to ad buyers, like user targeting and return on investment.
  Watch Snap trade in real time here.Snap shares are falling, down 3.79% at $14.82 apiece, after Cowen released a downgrade of the company on Thursday morning.
  John Blackledge, an analyst at Cowen, released the results of his team's survey of 50 senior ad buyers, and the big was that 96% of would prefer
  
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• Helen Tupper: How to choose a side-project that will benefit your career

  04-01-2018 15:43
  I spend a lot of time thinking about and coaching others on how to cut through the fog of busyness and the demands of our ‘always on’ working lives. It therefore seems somewhat counterintuitive to write about the benefits of taking on another project and more work.
  However, recent research finds that creative side-projects can actually help people to recover from the demands of their job. As someone who has been managing a side-project alongside my job for over three years, I can att
  
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• Investors once seen at risk of extinction are mounting a huge comeback

  04-01-2018 15:18 via feedproxy.google.com
  After so much was made of their potential decline, active managers rebounded in 2017, posting their best performance in four years.
  US stock pickers were aided by low pair-wise correlations, which reflected the degree to which equities performed independently of one another last year.Heading into 2017, the eulogy for good old-fashioned stock pickers had been all but written.
  Robo-advisors and passive strategies were supposed to put them out of commission. And matters weren't helped much as volat
  
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• Macy's raises its guidance after a solid holiday season, but shares are sinking (M)

  04-01-2018 14:50 via feedproxy.google.com
  Macy's announced comparable sales rose 1.1% during November and December and raised its 2017 adjusted earnings-per-share guidance.
  The retailer announced it was closing more stores and taking a one-time charge of $0.33.
  Shares are slipping on the news.
   
  Macy's is sinking Thursday, down 4.07% at $24.30, despite the company posting positive comparable sales for the holiday season and raising its annual guidance. 
  The retailer said comparable sales rose 1.1% versus a year ago for the Nov
  
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• Tesla slides after missing Model 3 deliveries by a mile (TSLA)

  04-01-2018 14:13 via feedproxy.google.com
  Tesla announced Model 3 deliveries that were well shy of Wall Street estimates.
  The auto maker also slashed its Model 3 production target for the first quarter.
  Shares are down about 2.5%.
   
  Tesla shares are sliding Thursday, down 2.54% at $309.19, after the company reported fourth-quarter Model 3 deliveries that missed estimates by a mile. 
  The electric-car maker said it delivered 1,550 Model 3 sedans in the fourth quarter, a bit more than half of the 2,917 that Wall Street analysts w
  
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• Macy's is closing 11 stores — here's where they will shut down (M)

  04-01-2018 14:12 via feedproxy.google.com
  Macy's is closing 11 stores in California, Indiana, Florida, Idaho, Michigan, Ohio, and Vermont.
  Macy's will close another 19 stores — on top of the 11 announced Thursday — as their leases expire, the company said.
  The closures are part of a plan announced in August 2016 to shut down 100 stores, or about 15% of Macy's store base at the time.Macy's is shutting down 11 stores.
  The closures are part of a plan announced in August 2016 to shut down 100 stores, or about 15% of Macy's store
  
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• Google and Facebook face fines in Germany, Airbnb wins lawsuit: International round-up

  04-01-2018 14:07
  Germany enforces law encouraging digital giants to tackle hate speech
  Germany is set to start enforcing a law that demands social media sites move quickly to remove hate speech, fake news and illegal material.
  Sites that do not remove “obviously illegal” posts could face fines of up to €50m (£44.3m). The law gives the networks 24-hours to act after they have been told about the material.
  Social networks and media sites with more than two million members will fall under the
  
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• BERNSTEIN: Amazon could disappoint in 2018 (AMZN)

  04-01-2018 14:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  Amazon could underperform its retail peers, Bernstein said in a note listing possible 2018 surprises.
  It’s a heavily owned stock, with an expensive valuation, which could impact its ability to outperform.Amazon had a stellar 2017. The stock rose 55% during the year, fueled by ever-increasing earnings and the high-profile buyout of Whole Foods.
  But such a great year could be setting Amazon up for a less-than-stellar 2018, Bernstein warns.
  "In 2017, most retailers felt the pain of Amazon&rsq
  
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• Charlotte Rogers: Protein World has decided to grow up, but will consumers buy it?

  04-01-2018 13:50
  Remember Protein World? How could you forget. The British protein powder company hustled its way onto the fitness scene in 2015 with a large scale outdoor campaign featuring a toned woman in a lurid yellow bikini tagged with the now infamous line – ‘Are you beach body ready?’
  Cue more than 370 complaints made to the Advertising Standards Authority slamming the ‘socially irresponsible’ tone of the advert and a Change.org petition with more than 40,000 signatures dema
  
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• 10 things you need to know today (SPY, SPX, QQQ, DIA, TSLA, INTC, GOOG)

  04-01-2018 12:42 via feedproxy.google.com
  Here is what you need to know.
  The Federal Reserve says it could speed up interest-rate hikes because of Donald Trump's tax cuts. Members of the central bank still think there will be three interest-rate hikes in 2018, according to minutes released Wednesday from the December Federal Open Market Committee meeting.
  The S&P 500 has gone 382 days without a 5% pullback. The benchmark index is just over two weeks from eclipsing the record of 394 days without a 5% drop, according to Goldman Sachs.
  
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• The scorching-hot stock market is on pace to do something that's never been seen before

  04-01-2018 12:03 via feedproxy.google.com
  The S&P 500 has gone 382 days without a 5% pullback, a streak just over two weeks shy of the record.
  US stocks have been aided throughout the almost nine-year bull market by a buy-the-dip mentality that has conditioned investors to add to exposure on weakness.The stock market is on the brink of history.
  Sure, the S&P 500 has made history on a seemingly weekly basis with its record highs, but this unprecedented feat is about longevity. The index has gone 382 days without a 5% pullback, pu
  
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• Why clean advertising must be the new normal

  04-01-2018 11:27
  Last year was a watershed year for digital advertising. Most recently, in December, we saw even more brands pull spend after it was revealed pre-roll ads were appearing next to questionable content.
  Senior brand leaders are now taking this very seriously. In fact, in Teads’ research of UK CMOs at large brands, 83% say they’ve become more concerned about brand safety in the past year. In response, 95% say they have overhauled their digital strategies in the past 12 months.
  Many are d
  
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• Brands shift marketing effectiveness focus from justification to learning

  04-01-2018 08:00
  Inflation is rising, interest rates are on the up and consumer confidence is on a knife edge, all of which means 2018 will be a difficult year for marketing. Media agency groups including GroupM and Zenith Optimedia have cut their growth forecasts, while the major agency holding groups are seeing revenue growth either slow or decline as advertisers, in particular in FMCG, tighten their belts.
  Given this background, it is little surprise that companies want to better understand the return on mark
  
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• Nobody in the auto industry is disappointed with 2017 US sales

  04-01-2018 02:42 via feedproxy.google.com
  2017 auto sales slipped from 2016's record but still came in above 17 million in total.
  The market could lose 2 million in sales in 2018 and still be relatively solid.
  Automakers have ridden out many downturns in the past.On Wednesday, all major automakers selling vehicles in the US reported December and full-year sales.
  The record years of 2015 and 2016, with well over 17 million in total sales, weren't met or surpassed. The year came in at just over 17 million (17.2, according to Kelley Blue B
  
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• Venn's diagrams should be used as creative thinking tools

  04-01-2018 01:00 via warc.com
  The eponymous Venn diagram should not be seen as a mere PowerPoint decoration but, Malcolm White explains, can and should be used as a creative thinking tool to unlock potential or seize opportunities.Circles have encircled me...
  
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• US Army under fire over marketing spend

  04-01-2018 01:00 via warc.com
  NEW YORK: An ongoing internal review of the US Army’s marketing and advertising budget appears to question the effectiveness of almost $1bn spending on marketing programs.According to a summary of the audit’s findings
  
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• UBS 'humanises' with content

  04-01-2018 01:00 via warc.com
  LONDON: Following a relaunch in 2015, UBS, the investment bank, has sought to portray itself as modern, different and human using content marketing, although a senior executive admits it needs to get better at aligning and synchronising its output. ...
  
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• Three wishes for 2018

  04-01-2018 01:00 via warc.com
  Resisting the urge to make predictions for the year ahead, Gareth Kay offers up three wishes that he hopes will happen this year, in order to move towards creating a more robust and vital marketing industry.The temptation when...
  
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• Over-optimised and underwhelmed

  04-01-2018 01:00 via warc.com
  The problem with endless over-optimisation is that practitioners look at advertising through the lens of a spreadsheet which, argues Faris Yakob, loses the humanity in the craft.This week I spoke at a lovely event in Belgium for...
  
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• JP Morgan ensures brand safety on YouTube

  04-01-2018 01:00 via warc.com
  NEW YORK: When brands pulled their ads from YouTube last year after it was revealed that these were appearing next to inappropriate content, JP Morgan decided to create an internal tool to ensure brand safety on the video platform.Having been...
  
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• JD.com aspires to brand building

  04-01-2018 01:00 via warc.com
  BEIJING: JD.com, the Chinese e-commerce business, is more than just a sales channel for brands – it is also a brand-building platform, according to its founder.“We spend more and more resources to help build the brand – to...
  
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• How Patanjali disrupted India's toothpaste market

  04-01-2018 01:00 via warc.com
  MUMBAI: Patanjali Ayurved, the yogi-led FMCG company, has shaken up the offerings of multinational brands in India as its traditional “herbal” toothpaste flavours have stolen market share from giants such as Hindustan Unilever and...
  
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• FMCG brands talk to Alexa

  04-01-2018 01:00 via warc.com
  SEATTLE: Major FMCG advertisers like Procter & Gamble and Clorox are reported to be talking with Amazon about how they can promote their products via Alexa, the e-commerce giant’s voice assistant.So far, Amazon has done little around...
  
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• Diageo suspends all Snapchat advertising

  04-01-2018 01:00 via warc.com
  LONDON: Global drinks giant Diageo has suspended all its advertising on Snapchat following a ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority which found that the messaging app had not installed sufficient safeguards to make sure the ads were not...
  
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• Coty's 'glocal' approach to analytics

  04-01-2018 01:00 via warc.com
  NEW YORK: Coty, the beauty company, has adopted a “glocal” approach to analytics as it seeks to maximise the impact of the data at its disposal.Kristina Kaganer, who has served as Director/Global Data Strategy at Coty since early 2016,...
  
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• Come back Karl, all is forgiven

  04-01-2018 01:00 via warc.com
  As 2018 marks the bicentenary of his birth, Mike Teasdale ponders what Karl Marx would make of today’s consumerism and what he would think of future consumerism driven by digital and AI.Communists the world over will be...
  
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• Clients hire you to be effective, not efficient

  04-01-2018 01:00 via warc.com
  If agencies can reframe what they offer in terms of providing solutions, not services, and recast the skills and talents within their business, then they will move up the value chain, argues Tim Williams.The...
  
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• ANA expands with WOMMA acquisition

  04-01-2018 01:00 via warc.com
  NEW YORK: The ANA (Association of National Advertisers) has acquired another leading trade group, the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA).This follows on from the acquisitions in 2014 of the Business Marketing Association and the Brand...
  
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